A/N: Well now, I've gotten a couple reviews concerning Erik and the Opera house. Explanation for Erik first: Marie reminds him so much of Christine, that in his mind it's like having her back. As for the Opera house: It's my little world and the Opera House is still in business. Madame Giry likes that idea as well.
Erik looked at the sleeping Marie. Having her here was almost like having Christine back again. Erik was growing restless just staying here in his lair. He needed to go back up to the Opera House. So he jumped into his boat and rowed to the opposite shore.
All was as it should be in the upper levels of the Opera Populaire. Everyone was asleep. Erik wandered the empty corridors thinking about Christine. Just then the quiet was pierced by a young one's scream. He rushed to the source, just to make sure.
What he saw surprised him. There were about ten men spread out in the dormitory. Erik recognized them as the men who were after Marie. Madame Giry rushed in and just narrowly avoided Erik.
"She's not here!" Shouted one of the men.
"Well, we'll have to search the entire Opera house. I know she's here!" Shouted the leader.
"What is the meaning of this? Who is not here? Who are you looking for?" Madame Giry demanded.
One of the men stepped menacingly toward her. Erik desperately wanted to do something but he knew he couldn't. He had to watch helplessly as the man murdered Madame Giry, his first love, the woman who saved his life. Erik could not bear to see what would happen next. He left hurriedly. He had to make sure that Marie was still safe.
As he made his way back to his lair, Erik came across many men dressed in black. He found a trap-door of his and went down. He fell into his torture chamber. He quickly made his way out into the lair. Marie was crying out in her sleep.
Erik was by her side in a heart-beat. Marie had, had another nightmare. Erik comforted her and she was soon back to sleep. Erik got up slowly and sat at his organ. He began writing music for a new opera, a tragedy such as he had just encountered. He couldn't actually play it yet, because of Marie.
He sat and wept for the dead Madame Giry. He soon fell asleep at his desk. The next morning Erik woke up very early and Marie was still asleep. So Erik went out and got the days paper. The front page story was of Mme. Giry's murder.
Marie woke up and saw the headline. She read enough to know who did it. They had killed poor Mme. Giry the way they had killed Marie's father. She knew it was her fault. She couldn't help it, Marie broke down and cried.
"Oh, Erik I'm so sorry! It's my fault she's dead. I shouldn't have run away, I brought this grief to the Opera." Marie sobbed.
"It's not your fault. It is not your fault that these men are cold blooded killers. It's not your fault that they murdered your father. The fault lies only with them." Erik said.
"No, I have to go back. They'll only kill again. I won't have more bloodshed because of me." Marie said determinedly.
"What will they do to you as punishment for running away? Something worse than death. I won't let you go back to them. Besides, you saw me murder one of them, and you know where I am. They know that one of their own is dead. They will make you tell them what happened. I'm not letting you leave."
"Then, you are holding me prisoner?"
"In a way, yes. And so you shall remain until the end of your days."
Marie's eyes welled up with fresh tears, and she ran to the bedchamber. She had thought that once she was well again, that Erik might take her to the surface so that she could do what she came to do, be a chorus girl. It was her dream to sing in the opera. Now she knew that would never happen. Erik would keep her here forever.
A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter, but more, longer ones are on the way. Don't forget to mourn Madame Giry!
